The Storm's Child (Open)

[Cinder]

Maroon had done small patrols of the area in the few days that she had been left alone, searching for either Storm or Aurelia. She heard a higher voice call her name from a distance. All of a sudden, the pup was stood right in front of her, at least that's what her nose and ears told her. Her eyebrows bunched together in confusion. "N-no. She hasn't gotten back yet."

She kept talking and Maroon dug her claws into the ground a little so she didn't get dizzy from the little one jumping around her. She felt air flush against her tail and she moved it out of the way. Aurelia was going to be the death of her.

Her tan ears rotated to listen to the rustle of grass as she moved to stand in front of Maroon. "That is really cool. And frankly, I'm glad you got here first. You and I both would've gotten an earful. If she asks, we went together." She said with a joking tone. Maroon gave a lopsided grin, glad she was with someone again.

[Deleted]

Aurelia:
Aurelia smiled, her tail wagging wildly. "Yha, she would be so mad I went up there all by myself. This sounds like a good plan!" Her eyes were bright, and she was happy. Then, a wide yawn hit her. Her eyes drooped, her tail stilled. "I'm tired.. I think I'll take a nap." She shuffled over a few feet, and curled into a ball of complete fluff. Soon she had drifted into sleep, and her dream was of a terrible fight. She felt no pain, but she was watching Adante and Allegro... Tearing one another apart. Allegro had a savage smile on his face, and Adante was losing. Her eyes widened as she struggled to her paws, knowing what she had to do. Thinking 'teleport' she and Adante were gone, Adante right from under his brother's fangs.

Aurelia shot awake, her breathing hard. Then, she started crying. That dream had been scary, her only two siblings tearing one another apart. It couldn't be true, it wasn't! It was too horrible!

[Cinder]

Maroon beamed, the pup was so happy and cheerful. The pup yawned and she noticed that she hadn't actually slept that well over the few days and settled down next to her. She slept in a light haze, not sleeping too heavily in case she needed to be woken up and try to protect Aurelia with all she had in her.

Before she knew it, she was jolted awake when Aurelia was gasping for air and crying. She sat upright and turned to Aurelia. She half-wrapped her body around Aurelia to comfort her. "Shhh, it's okay. It was a dream, alright? It's not happening right now. You're alright. We're here." She spoke softly, just like parental figures had spoken to her.

[Deleted]

Aurelia:
"Al.. Allegro! He was hur... Hurting Adante!" She sobbed, the fight flashing before her eyes. Her tail wrapped around her paws. "Why would Adante fight Allegro? Their my brothers, they... Why would they fight each other like enemies?" She looked at Maroon imploringly, her wide blue eyes still teary. Then a sent drifted on the wind. It was Stormstar! Aurelia perked up. "Auntie's back! Remember our story, you came with me." She forced a cheerful smile, and looked around. Her eyes landed on her aunt and someone else, and she stopped dead. The wolf was a stranger. Her blue eyes stared accusingly at him, her ears forward and her mouth raised into a snarl. "Who is that?!" She yelled, her blue eyes glaring at the brown male. Her hackles raised, she felt suddenly angry. She was emboldened by what she had seen to fight a stranger.

(Blood)
Stormstar:
Storm had been having a grand time with Zelax.
It helped that he was friendly, chivalrous, and very handsome. He was perfect. So perfect.
Trotting as best her leg would allow, she smiled. Her dark blue eyes, still holding the haunted look from the pain in her life, glittered. They had barely stopped since she had really met Zelax. Then she caught Aurelia's sent and she smiled. "Aurelia!" she cried, but stopped dead when she heard a snarl. It surprised her, Aurelia had never snarled! She was normally so sweet and timid. "Aurelia, sweetie, what's wrong?" She rushed over to the small pup, blue eyes wide with fright. What could make Aurelia act this way? She glanced at Zelax, and asked, "Did you ever do this when you were a pup? Is it some kind of phase?" She looked at Maroon. "Either of you?" Storm looked back at her niece. "Sweetiepie, why are you snarling?"

[Cinder]

Maroon just kept murmuring that it would be alright, that it wasn't real. She wasn't exactly experienced, but it felt right to say those words. She paused in her speech and tipped up her nose to the breeze, inhaling deeply. Stormstar and an unfamiliar smell. There was no alarm in the air, but she heard Aurelia jump up, angry. "Aurelia, wait, there's som-" Maroon was taken aback to hear such a threatening noise coming from someone so small. If she hadn't known it was Aurelia beside her, she would have definitely assumed it was an adult.

She raised herself up and moved until she was beside Storm and hoping she was blocking the male from her sight. "Aurelia, it wasn't real. We're all okay. Do you think your aunt, whom you trust, would bring someone right to us if she thought they were dangerous? I don't think so, and I hope you don't either." She took a breath and her eyes drifted shut, she realized she had just been staring who knows where.

"Even if they were dangerous, we'd be safe, because there are people here who care about you deeply. And we'd protect you until our last breath. Okay?" Her voice was stern but still gentle, like warm arms waiting for someone to accept their hug.

[Blood]

Zalex:

The journey from the mountains had been very pleasant, muy perfecto, but it also hurt Zalex to have to watch Storm limp for miles as she led the way to meet her sobrina. He wished he could just lay her down and fix her leg so it wouldn't cause her any more pain, but he couldn't do that, and he guessed that if the blancos lobo didn't heal her, it couldn't be done at all. Unwillingly Zalex's overly kind heart just had to accept the circumstance and bear through it, being as best of a companion as he possibly could be to this señorita.

Ever since leaving the mountain cave, Zalex noticed the land gradually sloping until they were passing through a sweeping grassland that was spotted with several trees. Larger groups of wood seemed to peek out from the green and viridescent ocean of tall wispy grass, and a darker line of forests lined the horizon in the direction the two wolves were traveling. A valley was slowly taking shape around them, and the new comer kept his senses alert and his eyes very observant. The land Zalex came from was rather more fertile in forest life and less rolling hill, but the former pack member gently set those thoughts aside, as the memory was brought back to him of his father.

Several unfamiliar and faded scents caught Zalex's attention as he slowly followed the gray female. 'Pertenecen a Storm's sobrina? No, the scents are too old.' A very dull throbbing had lingered in Zalex's shoulder half way during the journey, and he could feel the dried blood on his fur, unwilling to flow freely with his movements, as it pulled at his skin and wound. He had not gotten a chance to clean it properly, but with a second thought Zalex didn't want to taste what the blanco lobo had smeared on his wound. Maybe when the ointment had absorbed most of its content, would he attempt to bend his neck- maybe not. His torn muscles weren't quite healed enough to reach to clean his own shoulder. A flick of distress flashed in his eyes as he realized he was in a more difficult situation than her thought, and that despite his unwillingness, he would need some help for a while.

Stronger scents wafted through the air, and the sharp blue eyes looked up to spot a bright color and moving figures hidden in the tall grass not far ahead. "Aurelia!" Stormstar's voice rang out, and a younger sounding voice replied. A smile began to spread over Zalex's face, but was shortly whipped off as a blunt growling came from the small gray wolfling. Storm's limping was forgotten as she quickly reached her niece's side with comforting words. Another wolf stood beside Aurelia, a little older than her, but she too tried to calm the disturbed cachorro. Zalex thought desperately why the youngest wolf would be upset with him, was she afraid, was he that intimidating, did the bloody wound make him look like a monster? He glanced searchingly at Storm, as she asked him if he ever acted this way as a pup. "A-ah no, I don't remember doing so. Lo siento." Stopping beside Storm, and a little behind her, Zalex watched the two females try and comfort the pup, uncertainty keeping him back as he was afraid of scaring the pup if he hadn't already.

Quickly the large brown he wolf came up with an idea, and slowly lowered his weight to the ground and put a kind smile on his face, deteriorating his large form, and maybe menacing look. "Hola, señorita! Mi nombre es- ah, my name is Zalex." The brown male thought it best to try and not use his own language in case the other did not understand him. "What is your names?" Blue searching eyes looked over from the golden spotted pup to the white and cream striped she-wolf.

[Deleted]

Stormstar:
Stormstar was starting to get very worried.
Aurelia had never acted like this! Why was she? Her tail lashed a little, trying despretly to calm Aurelia down. "Honey, he's a friend! You're... Uncle Zelax!" She felt a little bad for giving Zelax the title of Uncle already, but if Aurelia may feel better if he was family. "Remember how I'm your mother's sister, you're aunt? Well, Zelax is going to be coming with us. So, he's your uncle Zelax now. A uncle is a parent's male sibling or a aunt's.. Friend." She smiled, and Aurelia seemed to calm down. Then she wearily looked over at her new uncle. "Are you sure he's good? He isn't grey or white or yellow or silver or anything." Storm sighed a little.
"He dose have blue eyes like you and me. Like most of our family. Besides, I've known him long enough to know he's a strong warrior with a heart." Aurelia seemed to decide to investigate him. Teleporting (She had a power!) to right in front of Zelax, she sniffed him. Then looked up at him. "You don't smell right, not like water or grass or stone." She cocked her head. "Are you from the Forests?" Storm smiled at Zelax, slightly sheepishly.


Aurelia:
Aurelia picked up on the tension her growling caused. Just, this male was like the wolf who had killed her parents. She had never seen his colors before, he had blood on him like the red she-wolf. But.. He did have blue eyes. Mom had had gold eyes, and Daddy had had purple eyes, but her mother had said that most of the other members of their family had had blue eyes. Auntie Storm had blue eyes, so she had come to associate blue eyes with Good. Her aunt's words calmed her, explaining and saying this brown male was her Uncle. "Are you sure he's good? He isn't grey or white or yellow or silver or anything." Her aunt sighed, then replied,
"He dose have blue eyes like you and me. Like most of our family. Besides, I've known him long enough to know he's a strong warrior with a heart." The fact her aunt had confirmed that he was good convinced her he was safe to go near. She looked back at Maroon, then back at Zelax. Thinking 'teleport' she was at his paws, looking up at him. He was huge compared to her! She sniffed him, then looked back up. "You don't smell right, not like water or grass or stone." She cocked her head. "Are you from the Forests?" Aurelia sniffed him a bit more, finding the smells of flowers but not much of the Grasslands smell she was used to, having lived in the Grasslands all her life.

[Blood]

Zalex

The gray and black she-wolf gently spoke to try and calm her unnerved niece, "Honey, he's a friend! Your... Uncle Zalex!" ! 'Uncle!?' Zalex tilted his head and made the most confused expression on his face since he was a pup. How was he suddenly Aurelia's uncle? Then it hit him, like a gentle freeze in a still plain. Siñorita Stormstar was temporarily giving him the title to sooth her niece by making him somewolf of the family instead of a complete stranger. The brown and tan wolf disapproved of the title, but he took it with a pleasant grin, and a step closer to the upset little gray pup. He calmly stood beside Storm with his tail swishing slowly behind him in a friendly manner, and his head lowered to Aurelia's level as he listened to the silver-faced she-wolf explain what an uncle is to her niece. "Are you sure he is good?" Aurelia's voice was softer but still demanding as she looked Zalex over with her sharp spirited eyes, but he was lost in the words of Stormstar as she mentioned his blue eyes and how she thought that he had a heart of a warrior. His attention was grabbed by the crippled female, as he stared at her in wonder. Did she really think he was brave?

Suddenly a silver and gold blur flashed from where Aurelia stood, and reappeared directly in front of Zalex. "Aye!" The brown male huffed in surprise as he took a step back, his blue orbs wide as the little pup stuck her nose at him. A power? Zalex remembered seeing the electricity cause Storm to turn into a wolf fluff ball, and figured that this pup had a quit different abnormality. With a sigh, the battle wounded male figured this valley was going to be a lot more different than he was used to. Aurelia blurted it a bunch of words, and then asked if he was from the forest. "Eh, No- ah, I am from a muy verde land. Some forests, and some plains." A soft grin appeared on his maw as he looked down at the curious pup. He glanced up and saw Stormstar's embarrassed look, and smiled back at her in reassurance, her bright blue eyes sent a flutter of excitement through his chest. For a short moment that felt like forever, Zalex was lost in that petrifying gaze, before he flinched and glanced around, dropping his eyes. How had he suddenly been distracted by her? He looked back up to not show the embarusment, and then noticed a bright pelted she-wolf standing a few steps away. "Hola Siñorita, who may you be?"

@pittypat

Cinder

[Cinder]

Maroon rose up and straightened herself out. Aurelia was no longer by her side, but she tilted her head to the side to finally address Zalex. She gave a lighthearted smile. "Hello, I deeply apologize for not formally introducing myself sooner. My name's Maroon, and it's nice to see you."

She gave a huff as she shut her eyes tightly, internally cringing at her joke. "However, I can't actually see you." she shook her head before hoping the attention would be taken off of her soon. She hoped Aurelia would pipe up and ask multiple questions. Maroon felt out of place and sat down, hoping to seem more confident and larger. None of which she was.

[Deleted]

Stormstar:
Stormstar smiled, her grey coat glittering. She limped over to Aurelia, licking the dove grey puppy. "Sweetie, you are so darn cute sometimes. And you have a power, when did this happen? You are so much like you're mother, beautiful and fierce and silly." She ended that last part by nuzzling her nieces belly. Aurelia's giggles rang, and Storm had a feeling that this was a bond that she wanted very much to have more of. Aurelia felt more like a daughter then a niece now, and how they acted with one another was a indicator. Aurelia's smiling face a cheery blue eyes convinced Storm.

She wasn't going to leave Aurelia with her grandparents, she would keep her.

Storm sat up, with Aurelia between her paws. Her smile was evident in her voice. "Maroon, I can't thank you enough for watching Aurelia. I'm afraid, however, we must really be going. You can come with us, if you would like." she said, licking Aurelia's forehead. She looked up at Zelax. "I know a place, Wildwater Falls, it's a nice place. You haven't lived until you swim there. The water is so refreshing and sweet, and the falls make this wonderful mist." She picked up Aurelia, smiling at Maroon, and started off. Looking back at Zelax, she felt her heart flutter with love. His blue gaze seemed to hold her's for a eternity, though it was more likely just a few seconds.

Storm smiled brightly, and limped along at what her version of a trot was. Carrying Aurelia and following the creek upriver, she looked forward to going home.

~Exit Storm and Aurelia~

[Blood]

Zalex:

"Maroon. A pleasure to meet you." The large brown male dipped his head towards the smaller female as she grinned and squeezed her eyes shut. "However, I can't actually see you." Zalex stopped and stared at Maroon as she said that, bewilderment clearly shown on his face. "You, you are blind?" Embarrassment took over his expression as he dipped his head again, this time in apology. "Ah, lo siento." Zalex glanced over to Storm and Aurelia searching for some sort of further sympathy or explanation, but they seemed not to make it such a big deal. In his past memories, Zalex recalled a few members in his pack that had been blinded by wounds, and even a pup had been born blind. That is most likely what happened to this young Maroon. Zalex glanced back at the pale she-wolf and looked her over again, her clear maroon eyes didn't look blind at all, but the male wolf decided not to continue the conversation, and left it as it was.

Storm's voice spoke up, and Zalex turned to face the silver faded black she-wolf, his tail flicked as she explained her plan to leave and journey to a different place. A Wildwater Falls. Zalex watched the Sinorita explain the falls to the rest of the group, her eyes glittering with distant memories of the wonderful place she was describing. Her words touched the large battle wounded male, and his mind grabbed the imaginations and created a splendid image in his head. A widening smile formed on his muzzle, and he longed to adventure to this beautiful place with his beautiful friend and now family.

Without much of a warning, Storm had picked Aurelia up but the scruff and limped ahead up the river. Zalex flinched and sprung forward to catch pace with the female his shoulder sparking a dull pain in reproach to his sudden movement. Again the picture of Strom limping made Zalex reach her side sooner and whisper to her, "Please Storm, let me carry Aurelia for you." The dark brown wolf didn't wait for the she-wolf to give him the permission, he reached out his maw and secured his fangs in the loose skin of the pup, gently pulling the weight from Storm's grasp. In the process Zalex and Storm's cheeks had touched, and the brown male flicked his eyes at the silver-faced she-wolf and grinned past the fur of the pup.

-Exit Zalex-